Romania: mountain rescue workers find bodies of 3 climbers

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian rescue officials say they have recovered the bodies of three Romanian hikers who got into trouble while climbing mountains in central Romania.

Local authorities said they had located the last of three bodies on Wednesday on the Fagaras mountain range following a helicopter search. The men aged 64, 62 and 18 had been missing since early April.

Local government spokesman Adrian Gabor said rescue efforts which intensified Tuesday were impeded due to the difficulty in navigating the mountains. Bad weather and avalanches also hampered search efforts.

Gabor said the bodies would be taken to a nearby town to establish the cause of death.

A local monk alerted authorities to their possible disappearance after he noticed their car parked in the same place for several days.